


Loving an angel instead

by SHADOWSQUILL



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Death!Nine, F/M, InfiniteTARDISprompts, Lethal injuries, Life!Donna, Life!Rose, Rape, Violence, doctorroseprompts, timepetalscollective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 18:11:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14454924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHADOWSQUILL/pseuds/SHADOWSQUILL
Summary: "The doctors explained the miracle rationally, but for Pete and later for Jackie, Rose was responsible for this. The little Rose had saved her mother. She had been given the gift of live."





	1. Chapter 1

Rose Tyler was an angel who had fallen on Earth. That’s how everyone was describing her when they were asked to. Starting with her parents. They were calling her just that, their little angel, their beautiful miracle. It wasn’t for nothing of course. There was a whole story behind that nickname they were giving her. They could have called her Angel, but they wanted something more unique and had kept the idea as a lovely nickname. They had chosen the name Rose because of her bright pink cheeks. Rose meant ‘pink’ in French. She was their pink and yellow daughter, all in blonde hair and pink cheeks. A beautiful name for a beautiful little girl who brought love and hope in the life of her parents. She also brought some magic, but that was something they weren’t meant to find out immediately.

The reason why she was being considered as an angel by her own parents was because of the miracle surrounding her birth. Jackie was around her forty when she got pregnant for the first time. Pete and her had tried to have children for years but it never worked until then, as if it was meant to happen when their hopes were completely shattered. The pregnancy had been hard on Jackie and she was under a close medical watch to make sure everything was fine for her and for her little girl. Whenever Jackie was feeling down or rough, she could count on her husband, and on her little baby growing in her belly. She often talked to her and she had the feeling that baby Rose was already having an impact on her, making her feel better. She wasn’t an ordinary baby. Jackie could feel it deep down.

The fateful moment to give birth came on a rainy day of the end of April, and after hours of a long pain and Herculean efforts, Rose was welcomed in this world by her parents and the doctors. Jackie was exhausted of course and she barely noticed that her baby girl was put down on her chest, that her husband was talking to her, and in just a matter of seconds, she was gone. The doctors wanted to do something and were already trying to send Pete and his daughter away but Rose was the first one to react. She started crying, her little hand on her mother’s heart. And the miracle happened. The dreadful flatline disappeared to let the comforting peaks of a beating heart appeared on the screen. The doctors explained the miracle rationally, but for Pete and later for Jackie, Rose was responsible for this. The little Rose had saved her mother. She had been given the gift of life.

Jackie and Pete had kept it a secret. They were giving the rational version to their friends and family: Jackie had been saved by the doctors. No one would have believed them if they had said that their little girl was gifted. There was no proof and human minds were too thick to believe in something so extraordinary. Plus, Rose never showed her ability anymore after that day. She had no reason to either. Her parents were doing well, and they were the only persons there were around her. What had happened the day she was born might have been just a coincidence but Jackie was convinced her little girl was gifted with something special. She didn’t care if people were calling her crazy, she knew her little girl was extraordinary and she didn’t need anyone to tell her otherwise. She was cursing them all if they dared saying anything about her believing.

Rose grew up like a normal little girl surrounding by the love and support of her parents. She loved the little nicknames they were giving her and how they considered her as the most precious thing in the universe. She was a very happy little girl, unaware of the power hidden inside her and only waiting for her to find about it. She had no way to discover about it since her parents were healthy and so was she. She never wondered why the small booboos she had when she was falling and banging her elbows and head in walls and furniture were healing immediately. It was just funny to see the bruises and booboos disappear as quickly as the pain, and it was cool to be able to go back to playing. She was too young to ask questions about this strange thing and so were his comrades. She would be considered as a superhero if they knew but, deep down, she knew she couldn’t tell them. It was her little secret, her superpower.

She was eight when she finally found out about what she could really do with this power of hers. Her mother was trying to help a plant they had back to life after she suffered from a too high temperature in the summer. Rose was observing because she was bored. School didn’t start before a couple of days and her friends weren’t around to play. Jackie asked for her help to keep her busy and Rose did as she was told. As soon as she touched the plant, this one started healing and got back to its full beautiful growth. Rose was impressed by such a miracle and Jackie smiled, as if she had known what was going to happen. This time, the little girl asked questions. She was being curious, and her mother told her how they had found out that she was given the gift of life, how she could heal every living being on Earth with a simple touch.

After Rose found out about her strange power, she was told and taught how to hide it. Such a gift was amazing and could be useful and save a lot of lives but if the wrong persons were to know about it, they would take her away from home to use her to bad ends. Now that she knew about her ability, Rose had a great responsibility on her shoulders and it was hard to handle for an eight years old girl. She shut herself away and took her distances with the little friends she had. She was afraid all the time that someone would find out about her gift. She became very lonely, only able to talk to her parents. She could only be herself around them and they never asked her to heal them when they were sick or hurt. They considered that it would be unnatural. They were meant to suffer and go through these little frustrations. Rose could only use her power when it was really necessary.

She was just sixteen when her parents died in a car accident. She could have saved them both but they had told her not to. They thought that if their time had come, it was for a reason. It was hard on Rose to accept their decision. She was definitely alone now. She had to carry her burden through the days and it was getting heavier, the secret and the loneliness. She left the flat they had always lived in and rented one of her own. She was slowly making her way through life, always hiding her gift. It was harder because it had become stronger. She was having troubles to keep it for herself. That’s why she was filling her flat with plants and flowers she was taking care of. It was helping her to stay in control and to master her gift. She had the most beautiful balcony of the whole district. People were asking her for advices and she was pretending that she was doing it naturally when she wasn’t.

When the grief was too hard to deal with, she used her fake ID card and went to a pub in town. Her gift could heal any physical wound but her grief was out of her abilities and she had to live with it. Alcohol was numbing her mind a few hours and then, she wouldn’t even be sick. What was the point of getting drunk if you didn’t have a hangover after? There was no fun in it. Some people would think it’s a good thing but if she was sick, it would help her mind to think about something else. But her liver and head were recovering almost immediately. She could drink endlessly. Which was quite intriguing for the twenty years old guy sat by her right. He offered her the next drink and she finally lay her eyes on him. She remembered him for being the musician performing on the pub’s stage. Good looking, talented, nice, with a beautiful smile. She smiled back at him and he offered her a hand.

 

“I’m Jimmy.”

“Rose,” she replied, shaking his hand.

“Lovely name. I’ve seen you coming around a lot lately.”

“’ve got some stuff to forget.”

“You’re pretty young to have regrets.”

“You have no idea.”

“Tell me everything.”

 

He raised a hand and ordered two new shots. The barmaid poured two drinks and made the glasses slip to them. Jimmy caught them. They bumped glasses together and drank the shots in one go. They put the glasses down on the counter.

 

“How much of it have you had already?”

“’ve stopped countin’.”

“You’re holding on really well.”

“Always have.”

 

What she saw in him, she couldn’t tell but something strong was burning tonight, something she would regret months later, but she still allowed it to happen: she fell for Jimmy Stone like the young teenager she was could fall for a boy older than her. She was deeply head over heels for this rebel rocker dedicating songs to her and always having eyes on her despite all the girls fangirling over him. It was all a dream at first. The guy every girl wanted as a boyfriend and she had him. He was making her forget about grief. She was getting the taste of happiness again. She wasn’t so lonely anymore. Jimmy’s friends were her friends. She was part of the band. She was their fan number one, their best promoter. She was giving her opinion on their new music and sometimes she was singing on a song. Jimmy was jealous but it was okay for Rose. He just wanted to protect her from his band mates coming to the pub and having fun slapping her ass.

However, one night, everything changed. Jimmy was trying to become a professional in the music area but it wasn’t an easy thing and he was frustrated. The good phase of their relationship was over and he was showing the bad sides of him. He slowly dived into drugs and alcohol as a permanent thing, instead of just having it to celebrate something, to do the same as his band mates. They thought it was cool and so was he but he was having a hard time handling this new habit. Rose disapproved of this but he wasn’t listening to her. She could just pick the pieces of him when he came home. She loved him so much she was afraid of losing him because of this shit. One night, what had to happen happened: she had stayed up later than usual and he wasn’t there. She waited anxiously until he was and when he was… He could barely walk and collapsed on the ground of the small living room. Rose panicked. He wasn’t waking up, wasn’t reacting at all. He wasn’t breathing it looked like and it made everything worse. Her tears awoke the power that had been sleeping inside her lately and she saved her boyfriend. Oh, fateful mistake!

 

“Rose?” Jimmy murmured when he opened his eyes.

 

She hugged him so tight he couldn’t breathe. He was highly confused. He remembered stumbling home with all the side effects caused by a high consumption of drugs and alcohol together. He had experienced being on the edge of an overdose doubled with an ethylic coma. And now, he felt totally lucid. His mind wasn’t clouded anymore. Rose was crying in his neck. What had she done to him? He had always suspected something about her: how she was healing from everything so quickly, how she could take care of plants so well. She was always so secret about this. He was gonna need answers.

 

“I was so scared! You wouldn’t wake up and… and… I couldn’t let you die… I couldn’t…”

 

He didn’t need to ask her any question. She was telling him all about her life, about her gift. She was explaining him how she was given the gift of life and how she had had to hide it all her life, how hard it had been to be so lonely because she couldn’t share her burden with anyone. She loved him and trusted him enough to tell him that secret she was living with. She wouldn’t have told it to someone unimportant to her but Jimmy was her anchor. She had lost the will of giving up on life thanks to him. He had brought her back to life and by losing him, she wouldn’t be able to fight and keep her head out of the water. Her love for him was blinding her and she didn’t see the danger in this relationship until it was too late. Her parents had warned her but she had gotten carried out by her feelings and she was gonna pay for it.

He didn’t show anything at first. He accepted her gift, made love to her as passionately as before and shared those little moments of intimacy like before. He was still having those junky nights with his mates and she was healing him from those terrible side effects he could get. Only him and her plants could be given this treatment. No one else knew and could know about it. However, when times got really hard, when Jimmy’s projects were all cancelled because no one wanted to sign with him, he became greedy and violent. She refused to be a victim of his frustration no matter how much she loved him. The first time he laid a hand on her, she ran away from their flat and as far as possible from him. She found herself in the middle of a valley, surrounded by hills where kids were running, playing, laughing. Even though it seemed to be a happy place, Rose had a bad feeling. Something wasn’t right and it was causing her hairs to raise on the back of her neck.

That’s the first time she saw him. That man in black looking so dull and unhappy. She would see him twice in a very short time and this one was the most terrific one in her book. She was watching the kids playing. It was soothing her mind to hear them laughing. She still had that bad feeling that only confirmed itself when a kid running on a hill stumbled and rolled down the long slope. Rose immediately ran to that little boy who was now crying in pain and fright. His back was broken and he was scared of the dark tall man standing by his side without a word. He was holding a hand out to him but there was also this woman knelt next to him. She was talking to him reassuringly and when she touched him, he felt a nice warmth spreading in his body and suddenly the pain was gone and so was the man. He jumped on his feet once Rose was done with him, shouted a quick thank as he was running back to his friends. He was gone but Rose didn’t feel alone at all and when she turned around, she saw him, that dark tall man glaring at her with those piercing blue eyes. If a look could have killed, she would be dead by now.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” he barked.

“What do you mean?”

“Saving that boy.”

“I don’t get it.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, don’t play daft with me. I’ve met you all you givers of life, always interfering with my business.”

“Your business?”

“Souls.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“Oh, come on!” He rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration. “Are you playing with me? Or are you completely dumb?”

“You better not go on that way, mate, or I’ll kick your ass!”

He snorted, “We’ll see each other again, Rose Marion Tyler.”

 

Before she could ask him how he could possibly know her full name, he was gone and she was alone again. That strange meeting had frightened her to the bones and she ran back to the place she was calling home, to Jimmy Stone. Once again, she told him everything about this man and apologised for leaving the flat, for running away from him when he was all she had. He promised to never do it again. But he was lying and she should have known. It was always like that.

Jimmy was using her and her gift to his own ends. He was making a lot of money on her but she never saw the colour of it. She never saw anything but the small dark room he had locked her into. She could never get out of there. She had an old mattress to sleep on and a bucket for her needs. She was nothing more but a slave he was beating when she wouldn’t do what he asked her to. Sometimes, he would come in and ask for sex. Her feelings tended to accept but her reason pushed him away and he was raping her. She held on, thinking about plans to run away. When she did try, she only got punished harder and she was handcuffed to the heater. As her body was automatically healing, he thought that he could beat her all the wished but when the mind stopped working, stopped hoping, the body followed the move. Or it was just that she was mastering her power. Her body stopped healing and she soon reached a critical situation. She was laying there on the ground, broken, bleeding, dirty when she saw him again. The man in black.

 

“You’re not on my list yet, Rose Tyler.”

 

She didn’t know from where he had come from, how he could have come in when the door was locked. He kneeled down by her side and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. His skin was cold against hers but it felt good. Her skin was covered in goose bumps and she would have closed her eyes if she wasn’t so fascinated by his icy blue eyes.

 

“You’re here to bark at me again?”

“I don’t bark.”

“You do.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be healing yourself?”

“Why would I?”

“Why would you want to die? Givers of life are usually full of optimism.”

“Who are you to know so much about my gift?”

He arched an eyebrow, “You really know nothing then?”

 

He was surprised and she couldn’t get why. He was so strange, so frightening and so fascinating all at once. She felt serene around him as if she had nothing to fear except for him. But she could hear Jimmy coming back and her panic took over. She tried to prop herself up, pushing his arm away – oh, the nice feeling of his muscles under her hand! – but she only fell back. It was him who sat her up.

 

“You gotta go. Now. If he finds you here…”

“He can’t see me.”

“I don’t know who you think you are but you gotta go before he comes in…”

 

Far from leaving the place the way he had come in, he sat down next to her as Jimmy burst in the room, looking pissed. He had been fighting and drinking obviously. The red marks on his face and his cut lip were enough to tell it to her. Now, he was coming for her to heal him or because he was excited enough to rape her. Both it appeared. He jumped on her like the beast he had become and brutally got in her and got what he wanted. He liked it when she was resisting and crying and screaming, when her body was reacting to his touch, when she was forcing herself not to show anything. And the man in black was there, not moving, with a poker face on but a little jump close to the corner of his lips was showing his disgust and scorn for what was happening. Jimmy was done. He got up and pulled his pants up. He walked away, locking the door behind him, despite the fact Rose was laying on the ground, bruised and broken, crying. The man in black slowly got up and straightened his clothes. He looked at Rose in the eyes.

 

“Some men deserve death, don’t you think?”

 

He walked through the wall to go in the other room. Soon after, there were police sirens. The door was kicked down and screams filled the flat. As the stupid junky he was, Jimmy resisted and they took him down. The door of the room was opened. Someone talked to Rose but she didn’t hear them. She was drifting away. She was carried out of the room. Her eyes caught the sight of the man in black holding a hand out to the dead body of Jimmy before she fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

When Rose opened her eyes again, she was facing surroundings she didn’t know. She had come here once a very long time ago but had never had the need to come back since she was healing herself very well. Until she met Jimmy. The smell of antiseptics attacked her nose and gave her a retch. She immediately rolled on her side to get sick but she had nothing to puke since she hadn’t eaten in days. She rolled on her back again and sighed. There was a needle in her arm that had moved when she had rolled on her side. She was connected to a drip and was wearing a hospital gown on her thin body covered in bruises.

 

“Sleeping beauty has awoken.”

 

Rose started at the voice. She turned her head to find the man in black sat in the chair by the side of her bed. He had his legs crossed. He looked at ease but a bit bored. Just the sight of him reminded her of everything that had happened. Jimmy had died after the police found out about his illegal activities. She had been saved, but she was alone. Alone in this world. The thought was making her suffocate as if a weight was on her chest. She was drowning. In the middle of her panic, a cold hand cupped her cheek and blue eyes met hers. He never said a word. He just looked at her with his hand on her cheek.

 

“You can’t stay in here,” he said when she was calm.

 

But where would she go? And why was he here? He had no reason to be here for her. Her head hurt and she closed her eyes again. She was too tired to think about anything. The man sighed. They needed to move before someone decided to come around. He had made sure everything about her disappeared from this hospital. No one could know about her gift. Humans weren’t ready for people like them. He freed her frail body from the needles and wires it was connected to and gathered her into his arms. Footsteps were coming their way but he was already gone with Rose.

 

x

 

Everything was new to her. She was in a room she didn’t know but it wasn’t a hospital room this time. She felt much better than earlier. Had she healed during her sleep? That was the only option she had in mind. She couldn’t think of anything else. She kept her eyes closed. There was a soothing atmosphere in here and it felt good to her. But she was curious about the voices she could hear. One with a very Northern accent and one more like hers. A woman, a Londoner, but from a different district.

 

“Why are you so interested in her?”

“I’m not.”

“Don’t lie to me. I know you too well.”

“Don’t use that tone with me, D.”

“So what? You think I can’t kick your ass?”

“No, the matter is you’re appearing out of the blue at 3am with that blonde girl in your arms and you’re asking to heal her and keep her here so I can teach her the code of the givers of life.”

“So what? Our grandfather taught you. Time to hand down.”

“That’s it, that’s a family thing.”

“She doesn’t have family. She was living with some waste beating her and using her gift for his own benefit.”

“You like her.”

 

Whatever the answer was, Rose didn’t hear it. She sat up in bed and slowly got up. She wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and walked out of the room. She was in some sort of flat. A nice flat. It was night outside. What time was it? She followed the voices and got into a small living-room. The man in black was sat in an armchair perfectly comfortable like he had been in that hospital chair.

 

“Oh, you’re finally awake.”

 

Not even a smile on his face. She wondered how it was like to always look so dull. He could smile at least. It wouldn’t kill him. He took his time to get up and straighten his clothes.

 

“Rose Tyler, this is Donna Noble. Donna, this is Rose. You’re both givers of life. She’ll teach you all the rules.”

 

And he disappeared. No goodbye, no further explanation. He just left, vanished into thin air. Rose was left alone with the tall ginger woman who kept calling him names until she decided it was enough. She turned to face Rose. She sighed. Rose didn’t know what to say, what to do. Should she leave? Where would she go?

 

“That man was my stupid little brother. Maxence. He’s a bit weird but he’s not a bad guy.”

“He’s scary.”

 

Donna laughed. He sure was now but she remembered when they were kids. He was such a happy child, always smiling and running around, dreaming about the biggest things. He was five when he was told about his strange gift. A curse as he called it. There had to be a perfect balance in every family: for one giver of life, there had to be a giver of death, a soul reaper, and it was his curse. He was a shadow everyone was scared of. He hadn’t wanted to let this win. He had fought it until he couldn’t anymore. When he was fifteen, he had to reap his first soul. He had never been the same after that. He had never told his sister how it had gone. He had just withdrawn and become the dull guy he was now.

Donna didn’t kick Rose out of her flat. She kept her with her for years. Rose quickly learnt all the rules and she was excellent in practise. She should have gone earlier but Donna had offered her to stay. They were less lonely when someone was sharing the secret. They sometimes were visited by Maxence who was inventing excuses for his presence. He was often visiting his sister before but now, he also came for Rose. He could lie all he wanted, Donna knew him very well. She knew he was feeling something for the little blonde who had grown into a beautiful woman. Donna had told Rose a few things about him. Rose was always fascinated by him. She was since she had met him. But she never dared talking to him about anything else but her progress. And he never spoke much.

They hadn’t seen him in weeks when he reappeared again. It was the middle of the night. Rose was sleeping deeply when the sudden sound of a body collapsing on the ground and a death rattle forced her to jerk awake. She lighted the room and gasped when she saw Maxence, laid on the floor, his hand pressed on his stomach. His face was paler than usual and he was having troubles breathing. He was looking for the person by his side as if he was blind. Which he probably was. He was so hurt it was hard to tell what was the most painful.

 

“Maxence? It’s me, it’s Rose. You’re home. What has happened to you?”

“I made… I made a mistake…” he stammered.

 

He was actually trying to reach Donna’s room. He hadn’t wanted Rose to see him like this, even if he had seen her in a similar situation a few years ago. He had even been a witness of her sad fate and had taken her out of there. Now, parts were reversed. Except she couldn’t save him. It was against their rules. Givers of life and soul reapers weren’t even supposed to stay in contact after their full education was done but Maxence hadn’t been able to stay away from his sister. Even less when Rose had come around. But though his boss knew about it, he never said anything. Maybe he was afraid of Donna. Everyone was.

 

“Donna!” called Rose. “Donna! I need help!”

 

Maxence was coughing blood now. He was trying to explain Rose that she couldn’t heal him, that she would get in troubles if she did so and he didn’t want her to. Not for him. But Donna was already there. She pressed her hands on his stomach, telling him to hold on.

 

“No one can hurt a soul reaper,” explained Donna to Rose. Her hands were already healing him. She was experienced enough to be able to focus her power in some parts of her body. She was guiding Rose’s hands for her to help. “No one but another soul reaper. Who did this to you, Max? Is this that Van Statten guy again?”

 

Maxence protested weakly. He didn’t want to tell them, didn’t want them to heal him and pay the price of it. But Donna insisted and he let her know. Van Statten had set a trap and he had fallen right into it. The renegades Mitchell and Blaine had been waiting for him and they made him pay for the fact he had gotten them into troubles by denouncing their souls trade. The first time had been a warning but Maxence had been tasked with keeping an eye on their activities and tonight, they had found out about him spying on them. They had wanted to kill him but he had escaped and gone to Donna’s. He was fully healed now but he felt weak. His eyes closed themselves.

 

“Can you get me stuff to clean him?”

 

Rose nodded but reluctantly left the room. She filled a bowl with water and grabbed a cloth. She brought it all back to Donna. She had put Maxence to bed and tucked him in. He was sleeping it seemed like. Donna thanked Rose and cleaned her brother’s hands and face.

 

“I’m gonna meet his boss and report this. It can take some time. Stay with him please.”

 

Rose did. She never left his side all the time Donna was gone. Maxence didn’t wake up. Rose had her heart broken when she thought of the condition he was in when he had arrived. He was better but it was gonna haunt her mind forever. She stroked his face sometimes. His skin was cool. Was it because he was working for Death? Or was he a naturally cold skin guy? She was tempted to lay beside him, to hold him in her arms to warm him up. But she didn’t dare. What would Donna and Maxence think if she did? Maxence wouldn’t have minded. She was asleep, her head on the bed. Her back wouldn’t like her when she would wake up. He slipped his hand through the curtain of her blonde hair, his fingers delicately finding their way to the warm skin of her cheek. She let out a sigh and leant into his touch.

 

“She loves you, you know?”

 

Maxence raised his head to meet Donna’s look on him. She was standing in the doorway, leaning on the doorway and observing him. He didn’t need to ask her where she had been, he already knew.

 

“I’ve done nothing for this.”

“That ‘I’m a big bad guy’ attitude got her.”

“The latest bad guy she dated almost killed her.”

“And you saved her.”

“She was intriguing me.”

“You went against the rules by calling the cops and changing their fates.”

“And you’re in trouble again. You’ve taken her with you.”

“What was I supposed to do? Leaving you to die? You’re my little brother, I can’t let you die because some assholes want you dead for doing the right thing.”

“Maybe was I on their list.”

“Don’t be fucking stupid, Maxence! Grow a pair and do what is right! Don’t let this ruin you, damn it!”

 

Maxence looked down. Donna had always gone against the rules but everyone feared her. He had done the same a few times too but he had paid the price of it every time. He was not a rebel in his soul like his sister. He was a gentle man with a too heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He shouldn’t have been chosen for such a gift. He should have been given the gift of life. He would have handled it much better.

 

“How do you feel?”

“Tired still. My body’s regenerating, I guess.”

“You were hurt badly. Without Rose, there would have been more consequences.”

“Wait for it.”

“Don’t be pessimistic.”

“It’s not gonna be that easy, Donna.”

“Get some sleep, I’ll take care of the rest.”

 

However, Maxence was right and the consequences weren’t long to come. They had crossed the line for the one time too many and there had to be something done. The high authorities of the souls reapers gathered and Maxence was convoked. He gave his version of the events: how he had found out about Van Statten’s illegal trade of souls, how he had denounced him and how it had caused him to be beaten by his friends, how he had been given the mission of spying on Van Statten’s activities and how he had been drawn into a trap that had almost killed him. The authorities didn’t care about the danger he had been in to stop someone like they had ordered him to. They were too focused on the fact he had changed Jimmy Stone’s fate to save Rose Tyler and how his sister had saved his life once again. So, the two women were convoked too to give their own version of the story. They weren’t allowed to see Maxence while they were deliberating. He was locked into a room, alone. He was only brought back in the courtroom when the sentence was about to be pronounced.

 

“After a close analysis of the facts, we’ve come to a unanimous decision. Maxence Spitz, you are sentenced to the ultimate death.”

“No!” exclaimed Donna and Rose.

“Silence! Mrs Spitz, you were supposed to break off all the tides with your family after the end of your education. We’ve not intervened before since you were both doing your duty properly.”

“And that’s still true.”

“But you’ve gone through the rules once again. As we’re not responsible of you, we can only sentence him.”

“That’s not fair! He’s done everything you’ve asked him and that’s how you’re thanking him?”

 

She wasn’t given the chance to go to the end of her argument. They were already tying Maxence with solid chains. He would be killed off later that day but they had to make sure he wouldn’t be able to run away. Rose, who had been silent since her statement, suddenly stood up.

 

“My life for his.”

 

Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked at Rose. Both Maxence and Donna wanted to protest but he was hit before he could say a thing and Rose stopped Donna by talking again.

 

“You said families are a brake to the duty but Maxence and Donna have always worked together and they’ve got the best records and scores ever seen. They’ve broken the rules only to stay together and keep up the good work. I’m an orphan. I didn’t even know the rules before Donna taught them to me. I’ll never have as good records as they do. I’m only Donna’s apprentice. You can take my life and spare his.”

“That is not up to us.”

“I’ll do it myself.”

“What?”

“My fate was to die in Jimmy’s hands but he saved me. If I killed myself, everything would be back to normal.”

“That’s unconventional.”

 

Maxence protested. He refused this option to be accepted. He refused to have his life saved if Rose had to die. He couldn’t allow that. They hit him again and dragged him out of the room. The option had to be studied. Rose was taken to another room and Donna was sent back home. She was left without news, not knowing what they were gonna do with her brother and best friend.

 

x

 

That situation lasted for days. Since Rose was a part of the givers of life, she was the responsibly of another authority. An authority that had had to gather and debate about the situation. It appeared after a long discussion that Rose wasn’t in anyone’s record because she wasn’t supposed to be given the gift of life. She was part of those people born in such exceptional circumstances that they developed the gift with the strength of their personality. Rose was a natural and couldn’t be judged because she was superior to all of them that were chosen according to precise details. All her decisions belonged to herself and they couldn’t interfere. She was an Alpha and they were all Betas. That was very annoying for the high authorities of the souls reapers because messing with an Alpha was always troublesome. They couldn’t refuse her offer but they couldn’t let Maxence go unpunished. So, it was decided that Rose would do as she wanted and Maxence was compelled to take her soul and bring her to her last home.

That decision taken, Maxence and Rose were led into a room. It was a small one, very white with nothing but a table with a silver tray. On this tray, there was one single dagger. Maxence was dull, his face was shut and pale. He didn’t want to play that game. He didn’t want Rose to die for him and he didn’t want to be the one taking her soul. The feeling got stronger when Rose ran to him and cupped his cheeks with her warm hands as the doors were closed and locked.

 

“I was afraid they might have killed you already.”

“They compelled me to live with the weight of your death thinking that this punishment is worse than death itself.”

“You gotta live for Donna.”

“Don’t do this, please.”

“You’ve saved my life. Let me pay you back.”

 

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. He had never been so close to her through the years, which had been quite frustrating for her since she had fallen in love with him. She grabbed the dagger silently.

 

“I’m sorry, Maxence. I wish we had more time together.”

“I beg you, don’t do this.”

“I have to.”

“I love you.”

“I know. I do too.”

 

The dagger was very close to her stomach now and she was about to pierce her flesh when his hand caught hers on the handle and stopped her move. She was struggling against him but he was stronger than her. Tears were running down her cheeks. His eyes were full of the same sadness but there was also a cold determination, and she didn’t understand it until she felt the warm fluid slip between her fingers. It wasn’t hers, she wasn’t hurt. He gave her a sorry smile.

 

“I’m sorry. This is how it should end.”

“No,” sobbed Rose.

 

The dagger fell to the ground. He had taken her hand only to turn the weapon against himself. She couldn’t hurt him but he could do it himself. And he had done it. Her expression of despair broke his heart. His blood was on her hand and it was driving her crazy. She could have picked the dagger and killed herself but she chose the other option. She kissed him, desperately, and as she did, he could taste the salt of her tears and feel the power of life running into his veins and healing him. She was saving him once more but there was something else. The power of life mixed to the strength of her love for him was changing him. She was taking something away from him. He would find out later that she had actually softened his curse by taking a part of it in her and giving him a part of her gift in return. By doing so, she had abolished all the rules that would apply to givers of life and souls reapers. They both were half giver of life and half soul reaper which meant they were a new race no one had authority on.

That new status was what saved them both from a certain death after they defied the laws again. The souls reapers found them together in that room, their hands covered in blood and the bloody dagger on the ground but no dead body. They stopped in the doorframe, sensing that something was wrong about them. They made them go through some tests and when the results fell, no one knew what to do anymore. They had no power over this new race they were a part of. Maxence and Rose were allowed to come home. They could work together as life and death and they could love each other without the laws bothering them, and Maxence could protect his sister like she had always protected him…


End file.
